Last year, the University of Illinois at Chicago (better known as UIC) got off to a fast start before its season went up in — well — Flames.

UIC started off 11-1-2, but only managed to win two of its last seven games and was knocked out by Notre Dame in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

This season has been the reserve: a slow start followed by a late rush. The Flames were only one game above .500 going into the last week of October, but they’ve been unbeaten since then, going 7-0-1. (The tie was a shootout victory at Saint Louis in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.)

UIC, which plays at Massachusetts Sunday in the quarterfinals, has been winning with great defense — only one goal allowed in its last eight games — and timely scoring — four golden goals during their recent run.

The trademark of UIC’s game is its patience.

“We don’t get in a running game with people,” says Coach John Trask, the former D.C. United assistant. “We slow the game down and play our type of soccer. It’s usually the 25th to 30th minute that we start picking teams apart after we’ve passed that initial surge of adrenaline from a team.”

In both the semifinals and final of the Horizon League Tournament, freshman Kevin Stoll scored late in the first half, and the Flames broke open both games with late explosions.

In the second round of the NCAA Tournament, UIC won its Chicago derby at Northwestern, 2-0, with late goals by Stoll and Ian Sarachan, son of former Chicago Fire coach Dave Sarachan.

At Creighton on Saturday, it was a late goal by Sarachan that gave UIC a 1-0 victory — its third shutout in three games.

“We had a game plan,” said Trask. “We stuck to it, the guys were brilliant, and as you see they had one shot on goal. We have a great defense and an unbelievable goalkeeper [Jovan Bubonja]. He’s the best in the country, without a doubt.”

Bubonja is part of UIC’s international starting lineup that includes fellow Serbian Pavle Dundjer in midfield, the Bosnian brothers Alen and Baggio Husidic and Englishman Robert Younger, who has been a great addition to the backline.

Charlie Trout and Younger, both freshmen imported from England, set up Stoll with the first goal off a corner kick against Northwestern.

UIC’s leading scorer is senior Cesar Zambrano, who grew up playing for Morelia in the Chicago Latin American Soccer Association and is enjoying his best season with a team-high six goals and seven assists.